Design of Sacred Landscape for a Spiritual Community (2)
Investigating design of sacred landscapes, while much will remain hidden, some insight may be revealed. One meaningful discovery - the most inspirational design is grounded by an intimate understanding of natural systems and social factors … strengthened by its designers' having cultivating a sense of well-being, with visions to clear the mind from delusions, obstructions and ignorance.
Accordingly, with my initial engagement in this work, I developed a foundation of six points derived from specific fields of research upon which to ground design of the landscape for spiritual community. I believe all points are necessary.
Point 1: Philosophy, rituals and practices of the spiritual tradition. In Buddhist tradition, the landscape is an integral component of the five aggregates of body and mind. The spiritual path used to cultivate the mind and open the heart is the basis for re-creating the environment surrounding us, a physical place both coarsely perceived and subtly intuited: where landscape is seen as the physical expression of spiritual practice.
During teachings by H.H. The Dalai Lama on Eight Verses of Mind Training, he cited the text, Guide to the Middle Way, by Indian Buddhist philosopher, Chandrakirti, in which it was said: “an undisciplined state of mind gives rise to delusions, which project an individual into negative actions and produces the negative environment in which that person lives. Correspondingly, a disciplined and virtuous mind gives rise to insight, which projects one into positive actions and produces the positive, beautiful environment in which that person lives.”
How positive and beautiful? Avatamsaka Sutra relates how Buddha Shakyamuni produced a landscape at the gardens of Jetavana as an emanation of the awakened mind. Entering the concentration called Coming Forth of the Lion, he caused the grounds to instantaneously appear as an indestructible diamond covered with flowers and illuminating jewels; groves filled with innumerable rivers of fragrant waters, garlands of jewelled trees and radiant flowers; skies of inconceivable cloud-palaces of music and songs, and flower ornaments pervaded all of space.
Even though disciples sat before the Buddha in the groves of Jetavana, too bad they did not see this miraculous event. They had not yet cultivated the positive virtues enabling them to neither see, hear nor realize the qualities and wonders of the landscape as Buddha Field. Not having omniscient knowledge, they were unaware of the miraculous manifestation of the Buddha's mind. The Buddha produced this appearance as incentive for his disciples to strengthen their practices on the spiritual path, enabling them to eventually have the ability to produce such a miraculous pure land themselves.
In Teachings from the Vimalakirti Sutra, the landscape produced by the awakened mind is referred to as a purified Buddha Field. This sutra says: “ Bodhisattvas wanting to purify their environment must make effort to fully purify their own mind - because, as the bodhisattva's mind is pure, so is their environment. A bodhisattva's environment is none other than the magnificence of the spirit of enlightenment.”
In Jewish traditions, one of the names for God is “place.”
Point 2: Signs and symbols used to mediate between spiritual tradition and the design of physical spaces and places. As expressed by Jung: “objects of the known world hint at something unknown; the known expressing the life and sense of the inexpressible.”
According to Buddhist schools, no phenomenon exists of its own accord; all things arise in dependence upon causes and conditions. This is its conventional truth. Lacking independent nature and self-origination, its ultimate nature or ultimate truth is the mere absence of inherent existence, also referred to as emptiness. These two truths, conventional and ultimate - the reality of nature and the nature of reality - conjoined with pure altruistic thought and action, are considered to be the same as the fully awakened Buddha's mind … the essence of the landscape.
The landscape of the fully awakened mind is limitless, beyond discernible distinction and identification of perceived component parts composing form and space over time. Except for those well along a spiritual path, ability to realize the essence of the teachings, the emptiness and compassion of the fully awakened mind, is obscured by negative causes and conditions arising from emotional afflictions such as pride, anger, attachment and ignorance.
Likewise, while living in a world of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, our perception of the true nature of landscape produced by the fully awakened mind is clouded. Indeed, it is said that we live in this world of the six senses because of predispositions to cloudiness. However, it is through sight, sound, odour, taste and objects of touch that spiritual paths are presented, teachings the means through which we become acquainted with and continue their practices.
Leading disciples along a path in which to overcome obscuration and obstructions, and realize the essence of spiritual traditions, teachers rely on the use of sign and symbol, word and expression, space and form. Because we have the ability as human beings to use our senses to discern and formulate meaning, they are the tools used by teachers. They mediate between spiritual tradition and a sense of physical spaces and places - conceptual notations used to give discrete definitions to the idea of landscape.
These signs and symbols therefore serve as linkage between the perceived landscape and the inner subtle activity deep within the heart - the linkage between what people refer to as the physical world and the spiritual worlds. Through nuances in design vocabulary used by landscape architects, architects and planners, people can be provided a place suitable for cultivating an acquaintance with spiritual traditions and overcome tendencies of cloudiness.
Point 3: Historical evolution of designed sacred landscapes, meditation gardens and monastic centres - the transmission of design techniques and adaptations in places where these artistic expressions developed. The design of landscape and architectural features and details, and ways to approach those designs, arose as expressions of particular spiritual practices and philosophical views. Study of their development is indispensable to the landscape architect's ability to develop designs for practitioners of different cultural and ideological schools, ascertaining distinctions among forthright and trivial directions.
I find myself grounded by references to historical precedence, placing great importance for my inspiration on the foundation of designed sacred landscapes developed in spiritual traditions - the landscapes where discourses first were taught. They were not merely background; they were sited and designed as integral components of spiritual teachings, providing clues to the artistic expressions produced by the fully awakened mind.
I constantly refer to classical texts on garden making. Sakuteiki, 11th century Japanese manual advises to study the works of past masters, who drew from famous places of scenic beauty. I draw from landscapes designed through practices of First Nations people whose intimate identification with nature produced artistic form in balance and harmony with landscape.
However, I find it important that the design vocabulary reflects fundamental practices, rituals and philosophy of a spiritual path, and speaks to the cultural background of the individual client to which the spiritual tradition has migrated. If a spiritual activity is to become viable during its adaptation and adoption, just as a tradition changed as it migrated from its homeland to other countries of the world, it is important to use familiar structures and landscapes to which people can relate and understand.
During one audience with H.H. The Dalai Lama, I remember his recalling a visit during one of his European trips to a Tibetan chorten built there by a community of western Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. While he sincerely appreciated the earnest intentions of the community and, of course, recognized the value on which they placed it in the context of their spiritual practices, he was mildly surprised to see this kind of structure completely out of context with its natural and social surroundings, exclaiming: “what is this Tibetan chorten doing here; this isn't Tibet.”
Point 4: Knowledge of subtle geomantic tools the sciences of natural systems. Standard environmental analytical tools are used for assessing the capability of the landscape to support activities and functions. These assessments indicate areas suitable for particular types of development, when relatively lower environmental and social cost could be anticipated; and those in which high environmental and social cost would be borne if located in sensitive areas where development is not suitable. These standard tools can also suggest actions available to mitigate serious environmental results due to insensitive development.
Subtle geomantic techniques, such as dowsing for earth energies and the practice of feng-shui help locate activities on the land to facilitate synchronicity between the subtle fabric of the earth with the subtle anatomy of body and mind. Geomancy is the study of the earth by divination. Feng-shui is based on the proposition that a continually arising condition of balance and harmony among constituents of the cosmos, in a dynamic steady-state equilibrium, is expressed through the interaction of shapes and patterns in the landscape.
Certain sites are considered more suitable and compatible with intended purposes and operations than others. Some sites are particularly considered auspicious. They have greater environmental, social, economical and spiritual value when properly sited and used. A suitable activity properly located on a suitable site will assure greater potential for compatibility between the attributes of the landscape with people on the land. Why?
Simply because proper siting more fully integrates human life with the natural and cosmic process. Example, feng-shui would prescribe a place facing east to greet the morning sun, or south, the orientation of most monasteries and temples, to absorb vital energies throughout the day for more effectively making use of the landscape for spiritual cultivation and awakening. Some traditions look for sites enabling construction of temples oriented towards the direction of the origin of their teachings.
Dowsing for earth energies is a search for the earth's life force system in which meridians of subtle earth energies flow. These are similar to acupuncture meridians within the physio-psychic components of the human body. The convergence of these energies denotes landscapes of spiritual significance. Siting places for meditation in the vicinity of converging energies strengthens spiritual practices as earth and human life forces harmonize.
“At a true site … is a touch of magic and light. How so magic? Hills are fair, the waters fine, the sun handsome, the breeze mild, and the sky has a new light - another world. Peace amid confusion, a festive air amid peace. One's eyes are opened upon coming into its presence. Here the breath gathers and essence collects. Light shines in the middle and magic goes out on all sides. Try to understand! It is hard to describe!” --- so wrote Yeh T'ai, cited by Andrew March in Journal of Asian Studies, 1968.
Point 5: Cultivation of an intimate, intuitive presence in the natural process - the operations of nature. Become attuned to characteristics and moods of the surrounding environment … lands … waters … skies … sun … moon … stars. The operations of nature - hardness and softness, wetness and dryness, heat and cold, movement and stillness, and space - are in a continual dynamic steady state of equilibrium. Realizing these movements reflect the innate quality of our own minds, they can be utilized to cultivate improved levels of balance and harmony between the surrounding environment and ourselves.
Emerson wrote in his essay “Nature:” Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. Every appearance in nature corresponds to some state of mind and that state of mind can only be described by presenting the natural appearance as a picture.
Point 6: Spiritual, mental and physical practices leading one to be quiet and light inside … clearing the mind from delusion, developing a sense of well being … virtuous in thought and action toward others while cultivating wisdom of the nature of reality and the reality of nature.
This is the foundation of the narrative and ritual used to produce a landscape reinforcing one's spiritual place on the earth through respect for the natural and spiritual systems from which it grows. It provides tools for hearing the voices of nature giving meaning to spirit of place.
When designing sacred landscape for a spiritual community, listening is most crucial, for the landscape architect, architect and planner is being invited to penetrate into the most sensitive and secret visions of the spiritual seeker: it is important to take care.
Using these guidelines promotes design principles that strengthen mental and spiritual health. These points help cultivate a keen sensitive ability to produce a landscape as an artistic expression of a wholesome state of mind in a balanced and harmonious relationship with the natural and social environment. By employing characteristics and features of sacred landscapes, landscape architects can contribute an effective approach to designing landscape for spiritual community - public and private places - in a design vocabulary reflecting its unique physical, cultural and spiritual heritage.
2:1999